Halloween is just around the corner and it’s time to start preparing your family pets for the festivities. Halloween can be an often frightening and confusing time for your animals and without taking the proper precautions it could turn into a real nightmare! Start preparing today for this weekends big event and avoid any surprises the big night!

1.    Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets. It’s common knowledge that candy, especially chocolate or any candy with artificial sweeteners can be deadly to your pets. Keep candy far from your pets reach and educate any children in the home about the dangers of feeding candy to animals. Symptoms of poisoning from chocolate include vomiting, diarrhea, rapid breathing, increased heart rate and seizures. If you suspect your animal got into the candy bowl contact your veterinarian immediately!

2.    Take care with pet costumes. Do not force your pet to wear a costume unless you are 100 percent sure they are comfortable. What may seem cute to you could be overwhelming if not down right scary to your pet. Make sure that costumes are appropriate for your animals, that they have full mobility and you aren’t blocking their sight, breathing, or constrict movement in any way. Keep an eye out for any loose bits on the costume that could be irritating or a potential choking hazard such as a buttons or tassels. Try the costume on the night before to see if your animal is comfortable, look for any sign of distress, allergies, or abnormal behavior.

3.    Keep your pets safe indoors. Do not leave your pets in the yard on Halloween! Pranksters have been known to tease animals which may end up in an injury or even death. The best way to prevent this from happening to your furry family members are to keep your animals safe indoors! Before the festivities even start put your animals in a room away from the evenings events. Dogs especially can be territorial and having strangers entering the yard or even your home can make them very anxious. Putting your dog and cats in a secure room will also prevent them from being able to escape out into the night if they get to frightened.

4.    Take extra pre-caution with your black cats (and dogs). Black cats are especially at risk to injury and abuse during Halloween. We recommend as a safety precaution to make sure your black cats are brought indoors several days before and after Halloween.

5.    Keep candles, wires, and electrical cords out of reach. Keep your animals away from any candles as they can easily get burned or knock them over and start a fire. Wires and electrical cords can also be quite hazardous. If your pet chews on wires or any decorations that require being plugged-in they could get a life-threatening electrical shock!

6.     Make sure their ID’s are current. Make sure that all your pets are wearing current ID tags and if micro-chipped that all of their information is up to date. Current identification is one of the best ways to ensure a lost animal finds its way back home to you! Both ID tags and micro-chipping are available at the Humane Society of Ventura County. To make sure your animals get home safely we will be offering FREE ID tags and $10 microchips through Halloween!